When you're on vacation, you lose track of time. We found ourselves standing in front of Cafe Brio's door about 45 minutes before they opened on a Saturday night. The host came to the door and graciously told us he'd hold a table for us if we came back at 530, which we did. Service was very warm and friendly. The dining space is has a comfortable, inviting atmosphere with large skylights allowing lots of natural lighting. Most meal offerings come in 1/2 and full size, which gives the opportunity to eat well but light - or try several different things without overdoing it. Wine list is diverse. Prices very reasonable. I had the poached salmon and my daughter had the chicken. We inhaled both. Would have stuck around for the sticky toffee dessert but we had several cupcakes to eat from Ooh Lah Lah so we will have to go back for dessert next time! We will definitely go back! read more

We were here for Dine Around 2016 and were basically treated like garbage by our server. As soon as she realized we weren't going to be drinking, it was as if we didn't exist. Was it also because we're young and not big spenders? We'll never know. But probably. When we somehow managed to actually get her attention, you could almost see the rudeness and impatience barely being held in check. I suppose we should be thankful that she made the effort... A one star experience bumped up to two stars because of the food, which was actually quite good considering the $30 Dine Around price tag. But no tip for you. read more

So... my friend chose this place and our hotel concierge also confirmed it is a foodie's must while in Victoria. It is French so in line with the theme of the cuisine, the portion sizes are also French. But the food is great. We started with some of their homemade salumi and proscuitto. Tasty - the proscuitto is aged 18 months and was quite salty but one thing that we absolutely appreciated but never had was the pickled green beans with a kick - some red chili pepper flakes. Tangy, crunchy with a kick to offset the salty cured meats. Chilled bean soup with chunks of dungeness crab was cool and refreshing with minty flavor. Lovely way to start the meal! My friend had the pasta with beef which had multiple chunks of tender beef with seared exterior and al dente pasta. The 1/2 order was very filling and generous. My 1/2 order of the rockfish was a tad small - good thing my friend shares! Service was impeccable! All visitors should go! read more

We have visited Victoria frequently. Probably 2 or 3 times a year we go to a nicer restaurant for a special occasion so we've tried quite a few places over the years. If Cafe Brio wasn't the best meal I've had in Victoria, it's most definitely in my top 3. My husband had the Contorni to start and Feature Lamb for entree, finishing with the cheese plate. I had the Mixed Green Salad, the Rabbit Fricasse, and finished with the Creme Brule. The Contorni was a neat combination of four vegetables prepared in four different ways. We both enjoyed this. The salad was perfectly balanced. My husband's lamb was perfectly cooked, tender and delicious. But it paled in comparison to my rabbit. Every bite seemed better than the last. The intense sauce tasted like it had been reduced with care over hours. The roasted wild mushrooms, gnocchi and kale all worked seamlessly together to support the perfectly cooked rabbit. It was so good, I was reluctant to eat my final bite because then the meal would be over. It was heaven. The creme brule and the cheese plate were both classic finishers. The service was quick and friendly without being too chummy. The ambience is casual but still elegant. No tablecloths, but the napkins are linen. The lights are bright, but the music is low so the ambient noise is not as bad as you might expect for such a high ceiling. The walls are covered with paintings rather than tv monitors and there are a couple of prominent nudes, but I'd rather see those then TSN during my dinner any day. We will most definitely return. read more

Cafe Brio - Italian Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Oh MAN. This was THE BEST meal I have EVER HAD. Period. The ambiance was perfection. Each item of food we tried was made so intentionally, I couldn't help but savor EVERY SINGLE bite slowly... We decided to try many things, so we opted for the small version of each plate. We had the crab spaghettini paired with the riesling (OH THE RIESLING); the lamb feature (cannot put into words...); frites with house aioli (no words...); housemade mortadella salami and italian pate (MMMMM); as well as the field greens salad. Chocolate mousse for dessert... This food was almost unbearably good. I would travel from Seattle to Victoria JUST TO EAT HERE. One downside: They do get a little slow with service when it is busy. read more

We had looked at the menu 6 years ago when walking past Cafe Brio this trip we were once more looking when a local who was going in to eat said that it was the best restaurant in Victoria. We shrugged and decided to give it a try. The gentleman introduced us to the owner and we were soon seated. What a feast!!! Best meal we have had in years and we dine in San Francisco, L.A. and New York on a regular basis. 1/2 plates are wonderful for smaller appetites and allowed us room for desserts. I had leg of lamb and my husband had steak. Both orders were tender,properly cooked and had lovely sauces. Extensive wine list with lots of choices in different price ranges . The desserts are imaginative and so good and I am not a desert person. Our server Janna was excellent. We went back 2 nights later for another incredible meal. I had mussels and my former lamb relucant husband had lamb shoulder. Two more incredible desserts and coffee for a perfect experience. We enjoyed chatting with Greg's wife and they both have such obvious pride in their restaurants food and service. Locally sourced ingredients and a talented chef make for a great experience. Too bad we don't live closer! read more

How often do you have a meal where everything tastes just right, comes out at the right time and staff make you feel welcome. This was our experience on Saturday. And I love places that allow you to do half orders ...no food wasted! We ordered the romaine hearts, vegetables, halibut and sausage - and each dish come out with the right assists of veggies and broth. The goat cheese polenta w/sausages was beyond decadent. The dessert of white chocolate gelato and chocolate mouse covered in toffee crunchy bits was an incredible finish to the whole thing. Out waitress was distant but great, ambiance is welcoming, and it was great to see so many kids being accommodated. read more

The evening started out great. Very welcoming host, happening place, and seated earlier than our recommendation. My wife and I went out for my 30th birthday. We both ordered the Brio family meal to share. This is a meal that consists of six dishes (not courses). The server was knowledgeable enough on wines to find a Cotes du Rhone that would work with the varying menu. Soon after, we were brought cold soup, romaine salad, and charcuterie plate that were quite amazing. The house cured meats and pickles were so good. The reason for 3/5 stars comes in the next course. Three main dishes came out all at once: seared tuna, homemade pasta, and a sausage plate. The tuna was quite good, but the pasta was a complete flavor profile away from it and also was quite bland. The sausage, while good, tasted like it belonged at a quality BBQ joint. These dishes being served together made it difficult to enjoy the meal as a whole. Finally, after the main courses the service disappeared. We were forgotten and it took most of an hour to pay our bill and leave. Disappointing end to an evening that started out so promising. read more

My wife and I would give this restaurant a solid 3. Here is a brief overview of our experience. Atmosphere: warm, casual, worn edges on the menus add some charm. Menu: everything is a half order or full order. No typical appetizer or entree sections. Lends itself to sharing dishes. Wine: wine pairings were underwhelming. Our server was kind, and very attentive to helping my wife find a white wine she enjoyed. I would say our server was keen on what sort of wine he likes, but not necessarily knowledgeable about the wines overall. We did not stray away from the suggested wine pairings, so I would have expected a bit more specifics on the wine since there are only a handful of wines suggested for pairings. Food: a) Chilled Asparagus Soup with Butter Poached Scallops: don't bother. As a half order it's huge. Chalky taste, skimpy on the scallop. After a few bites, you just can't eat too much more. Both of us couldn't get more than 1/4 through the soup together. b) Nettle Pesto and Potato Agnolotti: As a half order it's tiny. Good flavours though, and redeemed the first course. Only negative was it was a bit oily. c) Entree: Duck: the duck was cooked perfectly! The skin was crispy and delicious. The lentils were a nice accompaniment. My dish overall was a bit cool in temperature when it came to the table. The rhubarb compote I left alone. I love rhubarb... But the texture of this was very thick and pasty, and did not go with the other flavours. I had the wine pairing Cabernet Franc. Nothing special. Still, the duck alone was great. d) Entree: Halibut: the halibut came to the table looking a lot like salmon... because it was. The server quickly took the plate back and had the kitchen prepare the halibut. Essentially my wife and I ate our entrees separately. When the halibut came, it was piping hot and a little overdone. Not an appealing way to eat fish. Can't say anything great about this dish except that the restaurant did not charge us for the entree. That was classy and appreciated. My hunch is that when properly prepared, the halibut is simple, but nice. e) Dessert: Pistachio cake: This was tasty. Deep chocolate and coffee flavours. Enjoyed nicely with cappuccino. Overall, half decent dining experience. We were not wowed. Service was good. read more

Food: good but small portion than usual Staff: so much disappointed Ambience: cozy and nice I had rabbit fricasse for dinner tonight. Portion was a little bit smaller than other restaurant I had visited in Canada. Anyway it taste was good. However, after I paid, the staff did not say thank you or any other words when I was going out. I paid 10% for a tip. Did she think or need more tips so that she was angry? Whatever, it's ridiculous. read more

My absolute favourite restaurant in Victoria. Impeccable and helpful service, lovely atmosphere and positively delicious food. I recommend going with friends/family and sharing the Family Meal. Sure, there is a little risk involved as you don't get to choose what you eat but half the fun is trying something you might otherwise not have ordered. Besides- life is about taking risks! Try something new! You'll love it! Or you maybe you won't! Whatever! read more

Folks, this is as good as it gets--especially for the price. Okay, I'm pretty sure that you could drop $100/person for a Michellin-starred dinner, not including alcohol. But a few nights ago, we went here and spent less than $50/person...INCLUDING tax and tip for a truly first rate dining experience. The atmosphere here is not that of your oftentimes more typical, loud, conversation-filled Italian restaurant. Brio is dimly-lit, with medium-tall booths filled with patrons engaged in hushed conversations. Service is friendly and perfectly paced. Our waiter gave us plenty of time (but not too much) to make menu decisions, and made helpful suggestions. As far as I'm concerned, the standout dish of the evening was my handmade-and-cut duck bolognese. Imaginative in its use of ground duck instead of lamb or beef, the ragu lightly coated the housemade paparadelle. The duck was supremely rich and added a nice unctuous texture to the dish. The sauce had notes of sage to give it an earthy feel. I swung and hit on pairing this with an Okanagan valley Pinot Noir. I would eat this seven nights a week and twice on Sundays. While not as magical on the palate, Brio won points for imagination from me on my wife's caramelized onion soup ravioli. For this dish, the kitchen actually "stuffs" the consomme inside the ravioli. Meanwhile, the caramelized onion that we thought would be the ravioli filling was plated beneath the little homemade pillows. Thus, when we cut open the ravioli, the consomme poured out to mix with the caramelized onion, creating a nice, rich broth without being the least bit heavy. For me, the only dish that could have been considered a slight miss was my fish course, in which the fish was a touch over done. The gnocchi, however, have forever changed my perspective on how gnocchi should be cooked; the standard has been raised. I could not have been more pleased with this meal, and feel that Cafe Brio is more than deserving of the praise heaped upon them. The dishes are imaginative enough without seeming to try too hard or straying too far from the roots of Italian cooking. But because of the witty cooking, they are incredibly interesting visually and to the palate. I very much hope to return one day. read more

There was nothing that wasn't perfect about our experience at Cafe Brio. We were warmly greeted by the owner and seated at a wonderful table. They have a very extensive wine list and we found a great pairing to our meal. The rabbit entree was fabulous, so was the pork. One of our friends asked for them to hold off on the garlic on the salmon which they graciously accommodated. The other friend made an off-menu request and asked them to combine the best of the scallops and the creamy polenta (features of two small plates) which they did fabulously. And we topped it off with the sticky toffee date pudding, which everyone said I should limit to one and which we all fought over. We needed four. Our waiter Matt was informative, gracious, and a great addition to the meal. Worth the trip to Victoria. read more

We visit about once a year mostly because there are so many other restaurants to enjoy in Victoria in this price range. I appreciate that all appetizer and entrees allow 1/2 orders to suit smaller appetites. Though this is the same fall/winter menu I've seen for at least the past 3 years. Service always attentive and knowledgeable. The Mussels Soup was a silky creamy soup with what I think are Salt Spring farmed mussels, fresh and plump. You can taste the roué start and the saffron finish in this decadent soup. My partner went with just the mussels and was pleased with the quality, in a smoked paprika sauce. The pappardelle with sausage and veg was perfect balance in taste and pasta done perfect. My partner loved the venison entree, perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth quality. Tip: Make sure you reserve, AND specify a table at the front of the house. This is based on every time we are there with reservations we are offered the same table by the washrooms at the back. Strange. This time 2 alternative tables-for-two were offered but still at the back near kitchen and washroom traffic. Or it looks like you will get a better table if you become a regular. But why restrict yourself in Victoria . . . read more

I usually avoid rating a restaurant based on the service experience, but this time I have to. I think some other reviews also commented about seating problems (with reservation), but I think I had my own worst experience. With my early evening reservation, they guided me to a very dark corner seats, though the restaurant was more or less empty. I asked if I can take the middle seat. They said I can if I can finish my meal by 8. I said yes... and that seemed to be the problem. My server (an old lady) continuously reminded me that I should hurry with everything to meet the 8pm target. I know we can from my experience, but she just rushed me through the dinner. The wine selection, the ordering, the serving, she kept reminded me with the time... At one moment, I had all my appetizers and main dishes all placed on the table. With the full rush, we were able to leave the restaurant on 7:45pm... or should I say kicked-out... Maybe they were expecting the Queen to visit them on 8... To be fair, the food way okay for the price. read more

I went here three night in a row pasta fish steak lamb all wonderful with a great wine list. You couldn't ask for better service timely professional and most of all friendly my favorite in victoria read more

I am mixed between giving Café Brio 3 stars or 4. While the food was good and their vanilla crème brulee and wine pairing (Venturi Schulze #3) was excellent, I always expect more from a fine dining place. If I am going out and spending a lot on a meal, I expect the food to be of a certain caliber and to have a certain wow factor. Upper scale restaurants need to blow me away to get a five star rating. I wish I could give half stars. I would definitely go back to Café Brio but I've eaten at places that have better food I've given four stars to (in the fine dining category). Anyway, their homemade charcuterie is pretty good and I already mentioned dessert...seriously excellent wine paring! Dinner was average. I had the handcut papardelle pasta with sausage ragu. It was good but I can make better pasta at home and ragu for that matter. I did like the rustic quality of the dish. Perfect comfort food for a cold winter evening. My mom had a lamb with which we both agreed was average as well. I've decided on 4 stars but Café Brio in my mind is a strong 3.5. Not really a 4 and 3 is too low and I do recommend this place; go here before going to any of the tourist traps along the water please! read more

Amazing!!!! Ambiance. Staff. Food. Totally made our evening while in Victoria. We were recommended to this place by local server and we're not disappointed read more

Cafe Brio - Lamb - Italian Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Cafe brio came up slightly short for me in my first experience. It's redeeming features come in the form of friendly service and the promise of better things to come. We ate here during Dine Around, a fantastic promotion in Victoria, and were looking forward to a splendid meal due to countless recommendations. For appetizer I had the pear and Gorgonzola green salad and was disappointed to find a sparse few slices of under ripe pear and an almost overwhelming serving of blue cheese vinaigrette. Not a salad to remember for positive reasons. For my main I tried the seared albacore tuna with mushrooms and greens and was disappointed to say the least. The tuna came in what can be summarized as a broth with a scant selection of poached mushrooms and steamed leaves. The Tina itself was seared nicely but unimaginative and over salted. The dessert however was magnificent. An apricot tart accompanied with rich creamy vanilla ice cream and an orange demi-glaze. The meals last attempt at leaving me slightly satisfied was a success. Cafe Brio can be happy to know that despite this disappointment I will try again for better luck. read more

Absolutely love Cafe Brio. It's rare to fine a restaurant that has it all: Great Food and Service, Music, and Soft Lighting. Clearly Cafe Brio takes pride in the details that contribute to a wonderful dinning experience. While food and service is important, the environment is equally important and complements. Great chefs and staff know this, but few care. read more

My husband had the salmon, super tender, perfectly cooked! The pasta I had was so yummy, straight out of Italy! All the meats where made in house, delish! You can bring your dog on the patio and the owners are super cool! We will be going back next time we are in town! read more

We visited on a Saturday night. No wait and got seated immediately. Staff was friendly, quick and efficient. We ordered the full size portions and left satisfied. read more

After almost 10 years of coming to this restaurant Greg, Sylvia and the rest of the crew at Cafe Brio have us feeling like family on each visit. We have never had en evening here where we weren't delighted and I don't know how they do it. The food, drinks and arm are always perfect. Our kids are now old enough that they can enjoy the evening with us and the staff go out of their way to make them feel welcome. In a world full of franchised cookie cutter restaurants this is one of the last true family restaurants guaranteed to delight. read more

We had such a wonderful experience here last night! We were travelling in Victoria with our 8 month old son, and we were warmly welcomed into this restaurant. The food was FANTASTIC, (we have travel ed through France and it tasted very authentic),our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and recommended a wine to our palette, and the owners were so lovely and friendly. We couldn't have asked for a better experience ! Thank-you :) read more

We popped in earlier this week for a date night and left satisfied. Solid list of wines, beers and liquors. My Negroni was delicious and the Hoyne Pilsner I followed it with was enjoyable as well. I had a delicious dish consisting of Halibut and tomato risotto. The halibut was spot on perfect and the risotto was full of flavor. My wife enjoyed the tagliatelle with pesto and fingerling potatoes. Good size portions and they let you get half portions as well. The sticky toffee pudding was a great dessert to complete the meal. Well worth checking out. read more

The restaurant is set in a big Italian villa styled room with a large open bar. The welcome was friendly and we quickly had a menu to look at. One notable feature is that the restaurant offers full or half sized portions. I found this a practical way to try more things, but is also good for smaller appetites. The decorative artwork on the walls is all for sale so you also take a look at that When we'd decide on drinks and food we were brought some organic bread and butter to munch on while we waited for our opening dishes. We started with a romaine salad with goat cheese and a halibut with veg and accompanying dill beurre blanc sauce. The fish had a great crisp top and the plate came together nicely. Unfortunately our accompanying salad had an overpoweringly strong vinaigrette. Our following courses included albacore tuna, slow cooked braised pork, and roasted duck breast. The tuna was cooked perfectly and the accompanying jus was absolutely lovely; vegetables and mash completed the dish. The pork and duck were just as tasty, with a special mention for the pork's red wine sauce with ginger. Tasting plate for dessert had three elements and was a great away to seal the meal. The restaurant prides itself on locally sourced ingredients cooked simply to highlight the quality of the product. The goal is met, all the ingredients were fresh, perfectly cooked and tasty, though sometimes I feel the vegetable were a bit lost on the plate and could be elevated to something more special. Service was friendly though a bit slow. I also don't really take for under lit restaurants, I somehow like to be able to properly see what I am about to eat. The lovely artwork which is on sale would also benefit from more lighting. Good evening out, good food and an enjoyable moment. read more

Five stars simply isn't enough to give this wonderful wonderful restaurant. To eat here again would be reason enough to emmigrate to Canada. The exterior looks like a beautiful Tuscan Villa. The interior surpasses this with sumptous rich decor and cosy booths to huddle into. Artwork adorns the walls, all of which can be purchased. The food is exquisite. Absolutely superb and very well priced as here you get nothing but the best quality local ingredients crafted into the most divine culinary creations. I went for the Roasted Cowichan Bay Farm Chicken Breast and it utterly divine. There is an extensive carefully selected wine list and a great range of cheeses to accompany them. The staff are trained to a very high standard and their knowledge of the menu is faultless. read more

My wife and I celebrated an anniversary a week ago. Great service, we were seated quickly and the staff was attentive. Anytime I had a question or needed some service I'd look towards any server and they would notice and someone was at our table pretty quickly. The food was spaced out so my wife and I had plenty of time to converse and enjoy our dinner. Food was excellent. We started with three appetizers Salami, Chicken Liver Parfait, and Lardo, a charcuterie of complimenting textures and flavors. My wife ordered the roasted Artic Char and Scallops. The fish skin wonderfully crispy and the scallops perfectly tender and done. I had roast Venison, well seasoned and nicely cooked to a perfect medium rare with pine nuts adding a deliciously crunchy texture and nutty richness to contrast with the very lean yet tender roast. We finished up with a mini crème brûlée (with an Amelie worthy caramel brûlée) and an apple tart. We paired the dinner with a local BC Alderlea Pinot Noir and finished up with Alderlea's Hearth. read more

Nice bistro. Great food. Great service. We had the chef's choice dinner for two. Wonderful selection of first courses (3) and second courses (3). Nice rounded menu with fish, beef, chicken and pasta dishes. Wine selections matched well with the menu. Hostess was great and we had a wonderful time. Highly recommended. read more

Great experience.. From the welcoming invitation as you walk in the door to the perfectly prepared brio steak and Cornish game hen along with the suggested spanish complex cab/mer completed the evening. Thank you. read more

On a recent weeknight, we made a reservation for two. We were taken through a nearly empty (and it remained nearly empty) room to a small corner table in the back, near the bathroom. The room is nice - warm and relaxing, not formal. The service was wonderful (aside from the table). Prices were ok. We spent around $120 for two, including two glasses of wine. Had everything been wonderful, prices would be excellent. We tried the meat-stuffed olives, made by someone's mother. Not old country at all, but breaded and deep fried. Bland meat filling. Our server said the chicken liver parfait was not to be missed, but it tasted of nothing and we didn't finish it. We also ordered an assortment of meat and cheese. The blue cheese was a standout, the other cheeses far too mild for our tastes. The genoa salami and bresaola were ok. The quail was very good, and the accompanying lentils are something I'd love to have again. I forget which salad we had. I wanted to fall in love with the place, but it was mostly disappointing. After the salad, meat, cheese and olives, the food improved (the quail), so I do wonder if there are other dishes on the menu that better prove this place's reputation. I may go back. It certainly wasn't terrible. read more

Stumbled upon Brio last night - Friday night without a reservation, no problem, I was quickly seated and had a wonderful meal. Started with the house made prosciutto - (a bit salty but still better than most ), and the Italian pate served with house made mustard (the stone ground was a bit strange) and pickled goodies. Main course was the lamb feature - braised lamb shank with beans. I left with a happy and full belly. Went back again tonight (Saturday) still with no reservation and even though they were expecting a full house I was accommodated. The house made lomo and salami were spot on as well as the striploin with mushroom (a few bits of matsutake made this a stand out ) flatiron ragout (beef with more beef) - and I left with another happy belly My only regret is that I won't be in Victoria tomorrow night for another meal at Cafe Brio read more

I have been going to Cafe Brio since it was created by the owners Greg & Sylvia. this restaurant captures the ambiance of a Tuscan bistro while presenting the most delicious food. Chef Laurie Munn creates magical dishes using the freshest local produce. they even do their own butchering to ensure the best quality. I reserved a table last night and started with one of their signature Martini's. For dinner I selected the Marinated Brio Steak. Cooked to perfection and bursting with flavour, this is certainly a dish to have again. I paired this with a reasonably priced Ravenswood Zinfandel. As always the table service, food, presentation, and atmosphere were absolutely perfect. read more

24.50$ for a mystery veggie dish that comprised of 1 nugget potato cut into 4, 1 tomato cut in half, some sautéed kale, fresh arugula and a Marsala reduction. I watched everyone eat their half order meat appies as I waited for my entree that came with everyone's second meal. Thanks. read more

Staff were very friendly, sort of small restaurant so make sure you reserve. It was busy on a Saturday. I am trying not to eat meat anymore so I found there wasn't the largest selection of vegetarian or fish dishes. But overall the menu seemed decent. There are no appetizers but you can order a half portion of any dish on the menu. They do offer some italian Salami with mustard, which sounded really good, but again I don't eat meat. It was not as amazing as I thought it was, but it was still good. The desert was incredible (hot sticky date pudding) and the Squash soup was to die for!! So we will be back for sure. oh ya and we loved the wine!! read more

Cafe brio is great, always a solid choice for restaurants on Victoria. The restaurant is incredibly consistent always great specials, I've never had a bad meal. read more

The reviews of this place were full of promise, but the reality wasn't quite as good. Despite our reservation, we had to wait about 40 minutes. The host blamed a table that would not leave, but after waiting for our food for 60 minutes, and the dessert taking another 60 minutes, it was clear that it was the service that was the issue, not the diners. Our meal took 3 hours altogether, much of it spent waiting. The food was ok, but unremarkable. Will not go back to try this place again unless it was a quiet night. read more

Although I have always described Cafe Brio as my favorite restaurant in Victoria, unfortunately it is now my least favorite. I bragged about the food to a friend new to town and convinced her to join me for dinner recently. We started with appetizers of salami and chicken liver parfait at $6.75 each. It was all very tasty, but with only 3 thin slices of salami, we were left feeling a bit underwhelmed for the price. Service was very slow, so we were enthusiastic when dinner finally arrived. However, when my roasted double cut pork chop was placed in front of me, we both gasped in shock. Disgust might be more appropriate. Two huge slabs of pork, with an inch and a half of white fat around and throughout each "chop", filled the entire plate....no exaggeration. The fat wasn't even browned and comprised well over half of the meat portion. I guess that's why they put two chops on the plate. Two small potatoes halved and sitting in a dark jus of a few onions and a bit of sauerkraut sat under the pork. Visually it was very unappetizing and certainly way out of balance. I wasn't sure I could even eat it. I guess I should have inquired before ordering, but I was expecting a browned chop. At $29.75, it was a huge disappointment. When the waitress asked if I would like to take the leftovers home, I told her it was all fat, so not much to take! She came back and advised that the Chef said it was pork belly, so the fat was to be expected. My friend had the beef strip loin which was cooked to order and nicely presented. It was sliced with diced veggies over top. However, she reported that it was all totally tasteless. We decided to drown our sorrows in the vanilla bean creme brûlée. But, it was obviously a bad night in the kitchen. The sugar on top was still granular in places. It clearly hadn't been torched properly to create the desired signature crunch on top. And the creme also wasn't very creamy. As we walked out, I apologized to my friend for the recommendation. It was one of the worst meals I've ever had in a restaurant. Revolting was the descriptor I used. She concurred. The "new menu" didn't work well for us and it left me wondering if there is also a "new" Chef? I'd heard from others about a recent bad experience, but I thought it might have been an anomaly. Whatever the case, I don't share the Chef's vision for good food, good service and prices reflective of the quality. Too bad Cafe Brio. I used to be a big fan! read more

I have been dining at Cafe Brio since the pre-Yelp days and it remains an outstanding spot. The decision to offer full/half portions of everything is great and the inventiveness of the chef is amazing. Add to all that tremendously friendly service and one of the best priced wine lists in town and you can see why 11 yrs in Cafe Brio is still at the top of its game. read more

Our friends invited us to this restaurant because it was a favourite of theirs and suggested we share a family meal at ~$55 pp. We were really excited to see what would come to the table and loved the idea of sharing plates of food as a group. When the appies came we were a bit surprised at the modest amount put before us, especially since we were each only given about 1/3 of a cup of soup but we were sure the entrees would make up for it. Not so. I would describe the entree portions that came to the table as 'micro' sized and the bowl of pasta we were to share was ridiculously small (imagine about 1 cup). A sure sign that there isn't enough food is that our table, including our friends who loved the place, asked for more bread four or five times throughout the meal. FYI, we are not big eaters. After dinner, I thought, well, at least there will be some dessert included. Imagine my surprise when we were given a dessert menu...since when do order a set meal and it doesn't include dessert? To be fair, the food was very good. The ambiance was cozy, the restaurant was quiet and the service was fine. Our issue was value: Our table paid $220 JUST for food, an amount that should have been far less. We wouldn't feel this way if we left feeling full. Instead, we left the restaurant feeling ripped off and still hungry. Our friends probably still love the place so we obviously have different expectations. read more